Bloom
Bloom is a thriving, trendy town located in the heart of Drakefire Wood. Often described as a more 'relaxed' counterpart to Valore, the atmosphere in Bloom is slower and almost whimsical. Known for several smoky tea cafes and their fine arts college. Most everyone has dyed hair here. Town Bloom is a growing, trendy town located in the heart of Drakefire Wood. Despite being a thriving town, things here seem to flow to their own, relaxed rhythm. The atmosphere can be described as whimsical, artsy and even mystical. The town is known for its several smoky tea cafés, superb fine arts university and various short lived fashion movements. Bloom’s architecture is peculiar, and unlike anything else seen in Eithne, or even the whole of Hireath. Buildings are made around and on the old, large trees that grow here, shaped by plant manipulation to provide support to the buildings as they reach higher into the canopy. While large public buildings are more in the style of New Valore, homes and businesses seamlessly meld into the surrounding forests. Some would describe the towns infrastructure “needlessly complicated”, but Bloomians find it charming The roads and pathways of Bloom are winding, with many parks and nature areas, as well as ancient ruins of the kirin city who stood there before. While most of the actual buildings are long gone, some statues and murals have survived, and are carefully monitored and maintained by specialists. Besides the fine arts university, other landmark buildings in Bloom include the train station, about two miles outside the town center, an unofficial Sanctum to Ignacio and Argus, and one of the oldest bookstores in Eithne. Culture Bloom doesn’t vastly differ from general Aodhian values of elitism, art and pleasure - the beat of the town is slower and more relaxed, but beats with the same Aodhian heart. Majority of Bloom’s residents are wealthy, as housing in Bloom is expensive, and people below upper middle class can’t really afford the the lifestyle. With the expense comes a relaxed atmosphere of art and self-expression - nearly everyone in Bloom has dyed hair, and other fashion crazes - from rainbow dyed coats to planet inspired makeup - come and go. Everything in Bloom comes in all the colors of the rainbow, and it is almost a full-time job to keep on the current on what is hot right now. The only thing constant to be in is anything to do with kirins. Bloom, like New Valore, is accepting of all genders and orientations. Next to eminents and artisans, actors, teachers and crafters, courtesans are held in very high regard. Besides these rich and gifted people, Bloom is also home to a variety of rich commoners. There are no labor slaves or pit fights in Bloom, but servile slaves are common. In contrast to Valore, Bloomians generally favor rather bland-looking slaves, just so they themselves would look more vibrant. It can sometimes even be a competition as to who can manage to find the blandest, least spectacular slave. Like in New Valore, the literacy rate in Bloom is very high. Most of the permanent residents have an education up to at least upper secondary level. Bloom offers schooling from Kindlehearth to University, and those that make it all the way through, born and raised upper class Bloomians take great pride in finishing all of their school there. Those with more science oriented minds tend to finish their studies in New Valore. The town is known for its smoky tea cafes, and many such establishments are found around the town. The cafes are known for their smoke-flavored brews just as much as their recreational drugs, both of which are very popular and trendy in Bloom, and add to the “chill” vibe. University Bloom is proud and well known for its fine arts university - it is a prestigious school with a price tag to rival the university in New Valore, and arguably superior to it in the subjects it teaches. The university specializes in what is left of the kirin society, and has done so for centuries. It is said that only in the teachings of Bloom university do the crafts and artistic vision of the kirinkind live on. Even to those of immense wealth the university is hard to get into - to maintain its prestige, the spots in its various programs are highly limited, and the auditions for the slots merciless. With small class sizes and hard vetting for only the best, most motivated wealthy students, Bloom University offers a close knit community of artists and innovators, ideal for not only sharing ideas, but networking for the future. The subjects available at Bloom are drawing and illustration, painting, acting, printmaking, sculpting, poetry and literature, conservation and art history. Teaching positions at Bloom are just as coveted as the opportunity to become a student. Besides the high pay offered to secure the very best, teachers are also provided ample time to further their own crafts. Professors are advertised as nothing short of geniuses, and have a lot of political pull within the town. The university was built into an ancient kirin castle, carefully retaining and conserving the original stonework and art. Although some slight extensions and changes have been made over the years, utmost care was taken to not disturb any of the original building. The dorms are located around the fake lake, and together they form the centerpiece of the whole town. Patron gods Ignacio, the patron of creativity, passion and pleasure – the main patron It is believed that the true children of Ignacio will be capable of higher forms of art, and most seek Ignacio’s favor in their endeavors.Argus ArgusArgus, the patron of knowledge and imagination Argus is a secondary patron god and he is mostly looked upon for good luck, for example before an exam or when setting up a new business. Both gods are most commonly portrayed with pronouns they/them. The two gods share an unofficial Sanctum near the town square, where great stone statues of both gods stand. Every year during the start of the school year, the new students paint the statues with a fresh coat of paint for good luck and inspiration. Economy Bloom is a town that thrives around its university, and does not have anything in the way of heavy industry or agriculture. The main exports from Bloom are its many artworks, such as sculpture, paintings and literature, as well as other artisan crafts. Everything the town needs to thrive is imported. Most businesses are small and local. As the biggest source of income and people in town, the university is an economical behemoth that has its hooves in pretty much everything that goes on around town. With the high tuition fees and further donations from its alumni, the university and its wealthy students are what keeps the day to day life of shops and cafés and fashion boutiques in business. Bloom’s main source of income outside the university and arts is tourism - the town is a popular place to visit all year around, and guided tours are held every week to showcase the various sights and ancient kirin artifacts housed here. Various themed taverns and hotels are tucked away within the twists and turns of the town. Faeries As Aodhian Faeries are native to the Drakefire Woods and primarily found within the protection of the forest, great many of them also roost in and around Bloom itself. Bloomians take great pride in keeping and selling these familiars, and are extremely competitive over producting the perfect specimens - a perfection imposed by a number of confusing and somewhat arbitary criteria. Shows and events around the Faerie are hosted fairly often, with the best breeders frequenting Valore to show off their stock. A Faerie is a typical gift a wealthy graduate of the University of Bloom might receive. They are also gifted to visiting Advisers and Royalty. History Shortly after the Gods War, equines retreating from Old Valore stopped to rest in the Drakefire. They found remains of a kirin town, long abandoned after all kirins responded to a call to arms. Many chose to settle there instead of facing a long journey to their wrecked homes, or to the unknown that lay behind the woods. Most of the old kirin settlement was torn down, its stone and marble repurposed for new houses. What remained was quickly reclaimed by the wood, hidden away and protected beneath the leaves. The only part of the kirin town to remain untouched was a castle, standing ominously in the middle of a fake lake. It was left there, untouched by time and the town, until the opinion towards kirins slowly warmed - now viewed as their cultural ancestors rather than enemies, vegetation was brushed off of the remaining ruins in town, and the castle, cautiously and with great reverence, converted into a school. Originally the castle housed dorms and all grades, from kindlehearth to university, but as the town expanded and the prestige of the university and the kirin inspired artistry grew, the lower grades and dorms were pushed out into the town proper, until only the university remained. There it stands to this day, watching over Bloom as the town blossoms to life all around it. Notes * Bloom has very colourful folk and there is no one standard build. Tall, slim and regal-looking equines seem to however always be on demand – the more colorful the better. * Bloom has its own fashion magazine, and the university has its own newsletter, both published every two months. * Bloom consists mostly of nobles, artisans and rich commoners. There is a decent amount of chevaliers and they are rather well-respected – the only exception among the less scholarly ranks. * Bloom is a highly sought after place for a chevalier to be deployed, as the risk of injury is minimal, and the chevalier barracks are far more luxurious than in many other towns * There are only servile slaves in the town – no labor slaves or pit fighters. The slave population in general is much smaller than that of New Valore. Group NPCs * Principal Alfred , the head of University of bloom * Captain Erol , Chevalier Captain responsible for Chevalier activity in Bloom * Café Owner Calla , responsible for the best gossip in town CREDITS Text and materials by ThatDenver and lemonyh Category:Aodh Category:Location